Consumer Show Visitors: A Case Study

Transcription

1 University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Consumer Show Visitors: A Case Study Kara Grau The University of Montana-Missoula Let us know how access to this document benefits you. Follow this and additional works at: Part of the Leisure Studies Commons, Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration Commons, and the Tourism and Travel Commons Recommended Citation Grau, Kara, "Consumer Show Visitors: A Case Study " (2009). Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications This Report is brought to you for free and open access by the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact scholarworks@mso.umt.edu.

2 T Institute College o f Forestry to r _ \ and Conservation Phone (406) ' The University of M ontana v c r e c t l i o n Missoula, MT O U ris in and \ 32 Campus Dr. #1234 Fax (406) lesearch Consumer Show Visitors A Case Study Prepared by Kara Grau, M.S. Institute for Tourism & Recreation Research College of Forestry and Conservation The University of Montana Missoula, MT Research Report June 2009 T his r e p o r t w a s f u n d e d b y t h e M o n ta n a L odging F acility U se T ax C opyright 2009 In stitu te fo r Tourism and R ecreation R esearch. All rights reserved.

3 Executive Summary The survey was conducted at the Washington Sportsmen s Show, 2009, which attracted approximately 37,500 attendees. The show included many different vendors and exhibitors offering things such as guided hunting and fishing trips, hunting and fishing equipment, campers, etc. Show attendees who visited one or both of the Montana travel region booths were asked to participate in the survey. A response rate of 81% was achieved (218 surveys). Most respondents were from Washington, and 88% had taken a leisure trip to Montana before. 54% of respondents were gathering information for a trip in 2009 at the consumer show. Likewise, 54% of respondents had already decided to visit Montana in Approximately half of the respondents were considering visiting Glacier Country, and half were also considering visiting during the summer. The three most highly considered activities for respondents visits to Montana in 2009 were fishing/fly fishing, hunting and camping. Most people who stopped at the travel region booths spoke with a booth representative and picked up information. Many of them were looking for maps or updated information at the booths. The majority of booth visitors were very satisfied with the information (76%) and service (82%) they received. The majority of respondents had a positive image of Montana as a travel destination. Some of the common words and phrases they used to describe Montana included: big sky, clean, friendly people, nature, peaceful, recreation, scenic and uncrowded.

4 Contents Introduction... 3 Methods...3 Results...4 Total visitation... 4 Flow of foot traffic in the vicinity of the Montana travel regions booths... 4 Informational materials given out to attendees... 6 Sample size...7 Survey results...7 Follow-up survey Discussion...15 Conclusions...16 References...17 Appendix A...18 Appendix B...19 Appendix C Appendix D List of Figures and Tables Figure 1: Estimates of Foot Traffic at the MT Travel Regions Booths, Thursday, 1/22/09.5 Figure 2: Estimates of Foot Traffic at the MT Travel Regions Booths, Friday, 1/23/ Figure 3: Estimates of Foot Traffic at the MT Travel Regions Booths, Saturday, 1/24/09..6 Table 1: Amount of informational materials given aw ay...7 Table 2: Percentage of repeat visitors...7 Table 3: Respondent age...8 Table 4: Respondent income... 8 Table 5: Purpose of information gathered at the consumer show...8 Table 6: Intentions of visiting Montana in Table 7: Other destinations considered for travel in 2009, most common responses... 9 Table 8: Which travel regions respondents were considering traveling to...10 Table 9: What time of year respondents were considering...10 Table 10: Activities considered for respondents visits to Montana...10 Table 11: What respondents did at the booths...11 Table 12: What respondents were looking for at the booths, common responses...11 Table 13: How respondents plan to use the information from the booths Table 14: Respondent satisfaction with booth information and service Table 15: Respondent interest in visiting Montana this year...12 Table 16: Respondent interest in visiting particular Montana travel regions Table 17: Influence of booths on respondents images of M ontana...13 i

5 Table 18: Respondents whose image of Montana was not influenced by booth representatives or information (168 individuals)...14 Table 19: Influence of representatives or information on respondents images of M ontana 14 Table 20: Respondents whose image of Montana was influenced by booth representatives or information (50 individuals) Table 21: Words and phrases describing Montana as a travel destination

6 Introduction Consumer shows can be a very good way for tourism marketers to reach a large number of consumers with common interests at once. Travel shows, hunting shows and boat and RV shows, for example, obviously attract people who are interested in those types of activities. If tourism marketers have something to offer which fits within the niche of a particular consumer show, they have a chance to interact, one on one, with members of a large and focused group who have a high likelihood of being interested in the products or services being offered. Many people attending consumer shows are also very interested in making a purchase or scheduling a service on the spot or gathering information to do so in the immediate future. As it says on the O Loughlin Trade Shows website, Tens of thousands of serious buyers mean serious business for exhibitors... There simply isn t a more cost-effective way to meet prospects face-to-face, build lasting relationships and make sales immediately and for months afterwards (2009). While exhibiting at consumer shows can be a very cost effective means of marketing, particularly if the show is a success for exhibitors, it does not mean it is inexpensive. Costs for exhibiting at consumer shows include paying for the space in which to display the products or services; paying for any necessary extras such as extra electric hookups, display tables, booth decorations, etc.; the costs to ship or transport the exhibit supplies such as a booth backdrop and informational brochures; and the cost of traveling to the consumer show s location and accommodations while there. Tourism marketers often have a difficult time trying to weigh the costs and benefits of exhibiting at consumer shows. Both the costs and the benefits can be substantial and have to be evaluated for each individual consumer show. Every consumer show is different, in terms of location, theme, attendance, and season. What defines success at a consumer show is different for each exhibitor, as well, so a show that has great potential for one exhibitor may not be worth the effort and expense for another. In light of this, the case study described here was undertaken in an effort to answer several questions about attendees at the Washington Sportsmen s Show, held in Puyallup, Washington in January, Methods Consumer shows are very different from one another making it difficult to generalize any observations made about them. Therefore, it was decided that this would be a case study focusing on just one consumer show. The overarching purposes of the study were: 1. to analyze the likelihood to visit Montana by attendees at consumer shows who stop at travel region booths, and 2. to assess the image these attendees have of Montana after talking to Montana representatives at the booth.

7 A study undertaken by Tourism British Columbia in 2005 and 2006 was used as a model for the development of this survey and methods used for administering it at the Washington Sportsmen s Show. Two Montana travel regions, Russell Country and Missouri River Country, had exhibits at the show, and visitors to their booths were asked to participate in the survey. The Washington Sportsmen s Show was held in Puyallup, Washington, January 21-25, Four surveyors from ITRR attended the show to conduct the survey on January 22" ', 23'^^' and 24*. The surveyors approached show attendees as they left the Montana travel regions booths to see if they would be willing to participate in the survey. People who talked with the representatives at either booth or picked up any of the literature provided at either booth qualified to participate in the survey. If they were willing to participate, the surveyors asked each participant a set of questions. In addition to asking demographic questions, the surveyors asked about participants plans for travel during the year, how satisfied they were with their experience at the tourism region booth or booths, and about their image of Montana as a travel destination. The results of the survey questions are presented in the following section. In addition to answering the survey questions, each participant was asked for permission to be contacted at the end of the year to see whether or not they had actually traveled to Montana during A follow-up survey will be sent to the people who provided contact information in December, 2009, and the results will be presented in a separate report. Additionally, hourly counts were conducted to get an idea of the flow of foot traffic during the day. The number of people who stopped by the booths (either to talk to a representative or to collect information) and the number of people who passed by without stopping were each counted. The amount of printed materials given away to show attendees during the show was also estimated by the two tourism regions. Results Total visitation Total visitation to the show was approximately 37,560 people over the course of five days. Saturday was the busiest day, with just over 12,800 people attending, and Wednesday was the least busy day with just over 4,800 people attending. Attendance on Thursday, Friday and Sunday was approximately 5,375, 6,540 and 8,020, respectively. (Personal communication. Bill O Loughlin). Flow of foot traffic in the vicinity of the Montana travel regions booths For five minutes each hour, the number of people passing by the Montana travel regions booths and the number of people stopping at the booths were counted. Each count was multiplied by 12

8 to give an estimate of the hourly flow of traffic to and by the booths. It was not possible to accurately count the people stopping at or passing by each of the two booths separately. The booths were adjacent to one another, and in general, people who stopped at one booth seemed quite likely to stop by the other booth as well. Therefore, the counts were done focusing on alternating booths each hour, and the counts were grouped together to provide an estimate of the traffic flow af bofh boofhs collecfively. The following graphs provide an esfimafion of fhe hourly fraffic flow af fhe boofhs for each of fhe fhree days in which ITRR surveyors were presenf. Addifionally, fhe percenfage of fhe number of people sfopping af fhe boofh compared fo fhe fofal foof fraffic in fhe vicinify of fhe boofh is included. igure 1: Esfimafes of Foof Traffic af fhe MT Travel Regions Boofhs, Thursday, 1/22/ % 90 45% Q. 60 o g. 50 o 40 40%.3.5% 01 30% a. n 01 25% Q. M - 20% o # o f People S topping a t MT Travel Regions B ooths % 10% Booth V isitors % of A rea Foot Traffic 5% 0% V V T'.0^ igure 2: Esfimafes of Foof Traffic af fhe MT Travel Regions Boofhs, Friday, 1/23/ % 90 45% 80 40% Q. 60 o g. 50 o 40 35% 30% 25% 20% _0) a Q. M- o # o f People S topping a t MT Travel Regions B ooths % 10% 5% Booth V isitors % o f Area Foot Traffic 0%

9 ngure 3: Estimates of Foot Traffic at the MT Travel Regions Booths, Saturday, 1/24/09 " Q. O 0) Q. O r 50% - 45% - 40% > # o f People - 35% 01 Stopping a t MT - 30% a. 0 Travel Regions 01-25% Q. B ooths - 20% o - 15% B ooth V isitors % - 10% o f A rea Foot - 5% Traffic L 0% As can be seen through Figures 1-3, the estimates of the flow of traffic at the booths fluctuated throughout the day all three days. Likewise, the percentage of people who stopped at the booths varied similarly. These estimates tell us that total foot traffic in the area, not just the number of booth visitors, varied throughout the day. Throughout the course of the three days, it was observed by the surveyors that foot traffic did, in fact, fluctuate quite a bit. A contributing factor was the booths vicinity to an area in which demonstrations were held periodically throughout the day. Before and after each demonstration, the number of people in the area was often quite a bit higher than during or between the demonstrations. Also, to avoid inflating the counts of people passing by the booths, the surveyors made an effort not to count people more than once if they happened to walk by the booth multiple times during a counting period. It was observed that some people walked back and forth several times in the aisle. If surveyors observed people doing this, they did not count the people each time they passed, just the first time they walked by the booths. Overall, it is estimated that about 375 people visited the booths during the show on Thursday, 365 on Friday, and 720 on Saturday. The number of people stopping at the booths each day ranged from nine to 11 percent of the total amount of foot traffic in the area. As for the percentage of booth visitors compared to the full number of show attendees each day, booth visitors were seven percent of all attendees on Thursday, six percent on Friday and 6 percent on Saturday. Informational materials given ont to attendees Throughout the course of the consumer show, both booths handed out the majority of the informational materials they had brought with them. Estimates of materials given out by both booths are in the following table.

10 Table 1: Amount of informational materials given away Montana Highway Maps 1,100 Hnnting and Fishing Brochnres 1,000 Montana Vacation Planners 500 Montana Dinosanr Trail Maps 500 Missonri River Conntry Travel Planners (paper copies) 400 Rnssell Conntry Travel Planners (paper copies) 390 Missonri River Conntry Travel Planners on CD 350 Rnssell Conntry Travel Planners on CD 300 NE Montana Birding Trail Brochnres 250 Fort Peck Brochnres 200 Montana Winter Gnides 75 Sample size Of the 268 people approached at the Washington Sportsmen s Show over the course of three days, 218 agreed to participate in the survey resulting in a response rate of 81 percent. On the first day, a Thursday, 61 surveys were collected, 68 were collected on Friday, and 89 were collected on Saturday. The survey data is provided in the following sections. Survey results The vast majority of respondents were from the region surrounding Puyallup, Washington where the show was held. Of the 218 respondents, only four were from states other than Washington (California, Oregon and Alaska). The other 214 respondents, in general, lived within about a one hour drive of Puyallup, although some respondents lived up to four hours away. Most respondents had taken a leisure trip to Montana before. Nearly 60 percent of respondents were between 45 and 64 years old. Respondents household incomes were fairly equally distributed between the three income categories ranging from $50,000 to $150,000 per year. Table 2: Percentage of repeat visitors Yes 88% No 12%

11 Table 3: Respondent age <1% % % % % % 75 and over 3% Table 4: Respondent income Less than $50,000 15% $50,000 to less than $75,000 24% $75,000 to less than $100,000 27% $100,000 to less than $150,000 22% $150,000 to less than $200,000 5% $200,000 or greater 7% Consumer shows are often a great source of information for show attendees. This particular show had a variety of exhibitors and demonstrations primarily related to hunting and fishing. The two Montana travel region booths were in the vicinity of other booths offering things such as guided hunting and fishing trips, hand-made flint fire starters, and an assortment of homemade mixes for dips and sauces. Nearby were demonstrations of camp cooking and fly tying, campers and boats for sale, outdoor clothing and fishing rods for sale and places for people to try their hand at archery and pond fishing. With such a wide variety of products and information at the show, one survey question was related to what type of information show attendees were interested in. All survey respondents were asked if they were gathering information for a trip in 2009 while at the consumer show. Nearly 54 percent of them said that they were, and 37 percent indicated that they were just gathering information for general interest. Table 5: Purpose of information gathered at the consumer show Are you gathering information for a trip in 2009 from this show? Yes 54% No, just for general interest 37% No, for a trip next year 5% No, for a trip in the future 7% No, for another reason 2% The 117 people who indicated that they were gathering information at the show for a trip in 2009 were asked about their intentions of visiting Montana. Ninety-two percent of them were at

12 least considering a trip to Montana this year (2009). Of the 117 people who were asked about their intentions of visiting Montana this year, those who did not have firm plans to do so (54 people) were asked what other destinations they were considering for a trip in They were asked to provide their top two choices of other destinations. Some of the more common responses are listed in Table 7. The full list of responses is located in the appendix. Table 6: Intentions of visiting Montana in 2009 had already decided to visit MT this year 54% were planning to take a trip to MT this year, bnt had not made a firm decision 15% were still deciding where to go on a trip this year and were considering MT 23% were not considering a trip to MT this year 8% Table 7: Other destinations considered for travel in 2009, most common responses Alaska Arizona Canada (varions locations) Idaho Oregon Mexico (varions locations) Washington Wyoming Of the 218 survey respondents, 63 had firm plans to visit Montana in The remaining 155 respondents were asked if they were considering a trip to Montana in the future. Ninety-eight percent of them responded yes. This means that nearly every survey respondent had already decided to visit Montana in 2009 or was considering a trip to Montana in the future. All respondents who had firm plans to visit Montana in 2009 or were considering a future trip were asked if they were considering travel to a particular region of Montana (See Table 8). Of those who were considering a particular region or regions. Glacier Country was the most commonly chosen region. These respondents were also asked the time of year and what activities they were considering for their visit to the state (See Tables 9 and 10). Summer and fall were the most frequently considered seasons, and fishing, hunting and camping were the most commonly considered activities.

13 Table 8: Which travel regions respondents were considering traveling to Yes 65% Glacier Country 50% No 35% Gold West Country 38% Yellowstone Conntry 36% Rnssell Conntry 29% Missonri River Conntry 26% Cnster Conntry 21% Table 9: What time of year respondents were considering Winter 8% Spring 19% Snmmer 51% Fail 48% Don t know 2% * Respondents could choose more than one season Table 10: Activities considered for respondents visits to Montana Fishing/Fly fishing 69% Canoein g/kay akin g 10% Hnnting 56% Golfing 8% Camping 53% Gambling 7% Wildlife watching 29% Downhill skiing 7% Hiking 27% Nature study 7% Sightseeing tonr 24% Attend sporting events 7% Visit museums 24% Snowmobiling 6% Visit historical sites 21% Attend art exhibit 6% Other* 21% Mountain biking 6% River rafting/floating 18% Cross conntry skiing 4% Nature photography 15% Jogging 2% Horseback riding 14% Geocaching 2% Motorboating 14% Road/tonr biking 2% Picnicking 14% Snowboarding 2% Backpacking 12% Attend performing arts 2% Attend festivals or special event 12% *See Appendix B for full list of other responses. Most people who stopped at the booths talked to a representative and picked up information. Respondents were asked what, specifically, they were looking for at the booth. While there were a wide variety of responses, some of the most common responses are in Table 12 below. The full set of responses can be found in Appendix C. When asked what they were planning to use the information from the booths for, most people indicated that they would be using it both for making decisions about where to travel and in planning their trip. Thirteen percent said they 10

14 would be using it for something else. Most of these other responses mainly indicated that people wanted to get a new road map, which was available at both booths. Table 11: What respondents did at the booths only talk with a representative 9% only pick up brochures 18% both 74% Table 12: What respondents were looking for at the booths, common responses What specifically were you looking for at the booth? General information Maps Updated information Hunting/fishing information Places to go/stop Table 13: How respondents plan to use the information from the booths In planning a trip 22% In making decisions about travel destinations 4% Both 62% Other 13% Most of the people who had stopped at one or both of the Montana travel region booths were very satisfied with both the service and the information they received at the booth. A very small percentage of the people indicated being somewhat dissatisfied and no one was very dissatisfied. Some people did not speak to anyone at the booth, and some people spoke to someone but did not pick up any information. Those people responded that the question was not applicable to them. See Table 14. Regarding respondent satisfaction with the information they received at the booth, several people commented to the surveyors that they hadn t had adequate time to look over the information yet, so their response was either neutral or based on their initial impression. Many of the people who were very satisfied with the service they received at the booth commented that the representatives were very friendly and knowledgeable. At some other booths at the show, the representatives seemed much less friendly and willing to answer questions, according to several respondents. The surveyors also observed that the representatives at the Montana travel region booths were more than willing to answer peoples questions about any part of Montana, regardless of whether it was within their particular travel region. The fact that the representatives 11

15 were very knowledgeable and forthcoming with information about the entire state probably contributed to the high level of satisfaction with the service at the booths. Table 14: Respondent satisfaction with booth information and service Very satisfied 76% 82% Somewhat satisfied 8% 3% Neither satisfied nor 6% 2% dissatisfied Somewhat dissatisfied 3% 1% Very dissatisfied 0% 0% Not applicable 7% 12% Survey respondents were asked a set of questions in an effort to gauge whether or not their experience at the booths had an effect on how interested they were in visiting Montana in It s a little difficult to interpret the responses to the question regarding interest in travel to Montana this year. Because the surveyors were asking the questions, many respondents took the opportunity to expand upon their answers. In this case, the people who were already planning to visit Montana in 2009 responded that they were very interested in visiting, which was expected. It indicates that nothing about their visit to the Montana travel region booths made them become less interested in visiting. Some respondents told surveyors that they were interested in visiting this year, but did not think they would be able to. Likewise, some people responded that they were not very interested in visiting in 2009, but they were interested in visiting in the future. Their lack of interest in visiting this year had nothing to do with their experience at the booths; rather, they generally had plans that kept them from considering a visit to Montana during Based on the surveyors observations, it seems that these two questions were not as effective as hoped at this particular show of gauging the effect of the booths in increasing show attendees interest in visiting Montana in the immediate future. Table 15: Respondent interest in visiting Montana this year Very interested 75% Somewhat interested 20% Not very interested 4% Not at all interested 1% 12

16 Table 16: Respondent interest in visiting particular Montana travel regions Glacier Country 51% Gold West Conntry 36% Russell Conntry 33% Yellowstone Country 40% Missouri River Conntry 30% Custer Conntry 22% All 218 survey respondents were also asked about their image of Montana as a travel destination and whether the travel region representatives influenced their image of Montana. The vast majority (77%) said that their image was not influenced by the representatives (Table 17). Of those 168 people, 88 percent already had a very positive image and the other 12 percent had a somewhat positive image of the state as a travel destination. Ninety percent of them had taken a leisure trip to Montana before, and nearly 50 percent of them had already decided to visit Montana in Many of these people conveyed to the surveyors that they had developed their image of Montana long ago on previous trips, some while previously living in the state (Table 18). O f the 50 people who said that their image of Montana was influenced by the booth representatives, none said it was influenced negatively, and 84 percent said it was influenced very positively (Table 19). They all had at least a somewhat positive image of Montana as a travel destination. Most had taken a leisure trip to Montana before, and most were at least considering a trip to the state in 2009 (Table 20). Table 17: Influence of booths on respondents images of Montana Do you feel your image of Montana was influenced by the representatives and/or information brochures at the booth? Yes 23% No 77% 13

17 Table 18: Respondents whose image of Montana was not influenced by booth representatives or information (168 individuals) Very positive 88% Yes 90% Had already decided to visit 49% MT this year Somewhat 12% No 10% Were planning to take a trip to 17% positive MT this year, but had not made a firm decision Somewhat 0% Were still deciding where to go 21% negative on a trip this year and were considering MT Very negative 0% Were not considering a trip to MT this year 13% Table 19: Influence of representatives or information on respondents images of Montana Very positively 84% Somewhat positively 16% Somewhat negatively 0% Very negatively 0% Table 20: Respondents whose image of Montana was influenced by booth representatives or information (50 individuals) Very positive 64% Yes 84% had already decided to visit 64% MT this year Somewhat 36% No 16% were planning to take a trip to 6% positive MT this year, but had not made a firm decision Somewhat 0% were still deciding where to go 21% negative on a trip this year and were considering MT Very negative 0% were not considering a trip to MT this year 9% All respondents were asked to briefly describe their image of Montana as a travel destination in three words or phrases. A few of the most commonly occurring responses are found in Table 21. The full list of responses can be seen in Appendix C. Many of the words and phrases people used are common descriptors of Montana big sky, uncrowded and scenic to name a few. When looking at the full list, it is noticeable that lots of people responded with words or phrases related 14

18 to hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation. Montana is known for these things, but the data was collected at a sportsmen s show, so it is not surprising that these types of responses were so common. Table 21: Words and phrases describing Montana as a travel destination Awesome Green Recreation/outdoor activities Beautiful I would like to move/retire there Rivers Big Last best place Scenic Big sky Open Spacious Clean Nature Uncluttered/Uncongested/Uncrowded Friendly people Not crowded/low population Wilderness/Wild Good fishing/hunting Peaceful/relaxin g/q uiet Wildlife Follow-up survey Each respondent to the survey at the Washington Sportsmen s Show was asked if they would be willing to participate in a follow-up survey at the end of the year. The survey will be a webbased survey sent to the 130 respondents (60%) who provided their addresses for that purpose. The survey will ask questions intended to gather information regarding whether the respondents did or did not visit Montana during 2009, if they plan to visit during 2010, what they did during their visit and if the information they received at the consumer show influenced their trip or travel decisions. The report describing data which will be collected via the follow-up survey will be completed in Discussion Individual consumer shows are all quite different from one another. While one should not assume that attendees at the Washington Sportsmen s Show are representative of attendees at other shows, this case study does provide some information which may be helpful to potential exhibitors in thinking about what attendees are looking for at consumer shows and whether or not exhibiting at a particular show might be a good use of resources. This particular consumer show was relatively close to Montana. The vast majority of show attendees had been to the state at some point in their lives, whether it was for annual fishing trips, visiting family, or even living in the state at some time. The Washington Sportsmen s Show was not the best location, it seems, to attract first-time visitors. Many of the survey respondents were repeat visitors or were already planning a repeat visit to Montana. This does not mean, however, that exhibiting at the show was not worthwhile. Many of the people surveyed who had already been to the state were interested in finding new places to visit and new things to do. It was a great opportunity for exhibitors to promote some of the lesser known attractions and areas of the state. 15

19 Many of the survey respondents already had a positive image of Montana as a travel destination, so this image wasn t necessarily changed by their stops at the travel region booths. Although their images weren t changed, it was a great opportunity for the exhibitors to further confirm those positive images, perhaps convincing show attendees that it is time to visit Montana again! Conclusions This case study shows that, while not all consumer shows are great venues for attracting first - time visitors to Montana, it can still be worth the effort or expense to attend. Consumer shows can be a place to attract repeat visitors and inform them of new and different things to do and places to visit. It remains to be seen how many of the survey respondents who indicated that they were at least considering travel to Montana in 2009 actually visited the state. The follow-up survey, which will be distributed in December, 2009, will shed some light on this question. Results of that survey will be published in a separate report. 16

20 References O Loughlin, Bill, President - O Loughlin Trade Shows. Personal communication, June 8, O Loughlin Trade Shows Washington Sportsmen s Show Website. exhibit.htm Tourism British Columbia Regional Partners Research Program: 2006 Consumer Show Evaluation, Final Report 17

21 Appendix A What other destinations are you considering for your travel in 2009? Idaho 16 Alaska 10 Wyoming 7 Oregon 6 Washington 5 Arizona 4 South Dakota 4 Canada 3 Alberta 1 Banff 1 British Columbia 1 Mexico 3 Baja 1 Cabo san Lucas 1 Utah 3 Europe 2 Las Vegas 2 North Dakota 2 Yellowstone 2 Alabama 1 California 1 Grand Canyon 1 Hawaii 1 Italy 1 Maine 1 Nevada 1 New Mexico 1 Spokane 1 Texas 1 Washington, DC 1 West Virginia 1 Wisconsin 1 18

22 Appendix B What activities were you considering for your trip to Montana? Other responses: Agates hunting ATV Backcountry horse Birding Birdwatching Cattle drive Caves Caving Dinosaur Dinosaurs Drink Drinking Eat Friends and family Gem hunting Geology, birding Gold panning Jeeping, ATV, 4 wheeling Kayaking Mining sapphires Motorcycle Motorcycle touring National Parks Parks Quad riding Relaxing, stargazing Research genealogy Road trip, may move Rock hound, rodeo Sapphire mining Scout hunting Scouting for hunting Snowshoeing Soccer Souvenirs Sport touring Tourist stuff Visiting relatives Waterslides Wedding Wine 19

23 Appendix C What, specifically, were you looking for at the booth? Activities in eastern Montana Agate rocks at Missouri Country booth Broaden knowledge of Montana, birding Browsing Campgrounds Camping site and travel guide Chamber of Commerce (moving to Montana) Custer Battlefield Destinations Dinosaur stuff Dinosaurs Dinosaurs for grandkids Discount hunting tags (out of state) Elk hunting Events and maps Everything, hunting & fishing, rocks Family vacation Fishing Fishing, agate hunting Fishing, hunting information Fort Peck, Dinosaurs General General guide General info - things to do General information General Information General information, camping General lodging map General Montana info General Montana map Ghost towns Glacier Country Info Glancing Guide/outfitter information Horseback riding Horsepacking Hunting Hunting and fishing Hunting and fishing information Just walking by, but wanted a Montana map Looking at information Looking at rocks Looking for listing in B&B Map Map and information Map of Fort Peck Map, anything new Map, information Maps Maps and DVD Maps and Ideas Maps and information Maps of Montana Missouri River canoe info Missouri River Country More information on Fort Peck More Montana information camp and hunt Motels Nature talks and birdwatching New map and new guide No No general info/hunting No hunting Nothing Outfitters for horse riding Overview of Montana Pheasant and deer hunting Photography Places to fish and camp Places to go Places to stop on drive through to MN Presentation Quality of life info, agricultural opportunities Regional information Road map, state info Rocks, gemstone information Russel Country Russell Art- familiar with it, so stopped at Russell booth 20

24 Hunting areas Hunting information Hunting regulations Hunting tags Hunting trip Ideas Ideas for Montana trip Information Information about Missouri Information on familiar area (Fort Peck) and interested in Real Estate Information on Montana, map Information on NE Section (Missouri River) Inside information from representative, places off beaten path Just looking Something new Tourist information Trail guide and map Trail maps for horseback riding, outfitters Travel information Understand areas Updated information Updated information for lodging Vacation planner, map, brochures, dinosaurs Visit MT Watching elk film Where is Shelby? Where to go Wondering what doing- dinosaur 21

25 Appendix D Can you briefly describe your image of Montana as a travel destination in 3 words or phrases? 2nd home Adventure Adventure A great state, want to live there America used to be Affordable All encompassing Animals, elk, buffalo Beautiful Awesome Awesome Beautiful, clean water Bad drivers Beautiful Beauty of mountains Barren Beautiful country Big sky Beautiful Beautiful views Bozeman Beautiful place Beauty Camping Beautiful state Better in person than TV Can't wait to visit Beauty Big Close Big Big sky Cold winters Big country Blue sky Country Big mountains Calming Exciting Big open country Changed over time Expensive Big sky Clean Fishing Big Sky Cold Fishing and hunting Big sky country Country Flat Big Sky Country Desirable Freedom Blue sky Does not belong to Paws Up Friendly Can't hardly wait Dry Friendly people Clean Dry in East Fun Cold Ducks(Carvers Store Manhattan, MT) Game rich Cool Exciting Get away Countryside Fantastic fishing Gorgeous Diverse Fishing Green Empty country Fly fishing Growing Exciting Friendly Hot Expansive Friendly and honest people Hunting Family Friendly people Hunting & fishing (outdoor sports) Fantastic Friendly ruggedness Laid back Favorite state Fun Love it Fell in love with the state Good fishing Might move there someday Few people Good hiking in Selway- Bitterroot Mountains Fishing Good hunting National Parks, National Forests Flat Good people Natural Fly fishing Gorgeous Natural serenity Fresh air Grasshoppers Nature and wildlife Friendly people Great variety Nice weather 22

26 Game Green Non-urban God's country Home Open Good destination Horseback Open spaces Gorgeous Hunting Outdoors Great hunting place Hunting, fishing Outdoors activities Great natural beauty 1love it Peaceful Great outdoors Indians powwows People Great place Lack of urban Pretty Green Large Pride in the environment Grizzly bears Lewis & Clark Quite Historic Like to move there Rafting Homey Likes the water stuff Relaxing Horseback Lots to see Rivers Huge Mountains Rodeo Hunting Mule deer Scenery Hunting fees for out of state expensive My home Scenic I'm not very descriptive Native American History Sight seeing 1like Montana Nice Silence 1would like to retire there Nice country Sunset Inspired No city pressure Too much snow Interesting No RV spots Traffic Lack of crowd Not crowded Variety Laid back Open Wholesome Laidback Open space Wide open Last best place Outdoors Wild Lot like Alaska People nice Wilderness Low population Pine smell Wildlife Mountainous Pretty Wildlife and scenery Mountains Pristine Yellowstone N/A National Parks Natural Nature Nice Nice country Nice people No No people No traffic Not Alaska Not crowded Not overpopulated Not this year Quiet Relaxing Sage brush Scenery Scenic Solace Spacious Spaciousness Trees Uncovered area Unpopulated Vast Wide Wide open 23

27 Old ways Wide open spaces Open Wild Open country Wildlife Open places Open spaces Open, vast Outdoor Outdoor activities Outdoors Outstanding Paradise Peaceful Pristine Recreational Relaxing Rich people buy up the land and try to influence people Rural Scenery Scenic Unbelievable Uncluttered Uncongested Uncrowded Unpopulated Variety Vast Very bad roads Very good Very good fishing Want to be there Wide open Wide open space Wide open spaces Wild Wild country Wild west Wilderness 24